Mining-machine and truck.



N. D. LEVIN.

MINING MACHINE AND TRUCK.

APH-ICATIOI FILED Mk2! IIIO- RENEWED IUNE II. "N-

1,1'Z0,763. Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

I SHEEN-SHEET I- Witnesses: W 241mm N. 0. L IN, mums MACHINE Arm TRUCK APPUCAHON FILED APR.25. tarp. RENEWE JUM as, 1914.

1,170,763. Patsntedieb 8,.I916.

3 BHEEE-S-QHEET 3.

witmmwx NILS n. LEVIN, or COLUMBUS, o'HIo, ASSIGNOR To min 'ZIIEFFREY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A oonrorm'rron or OHIO. 1

mums-Macrame AND TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application filed April 25, 1910, Serial 110.557332. Renewed June 18, 1914. Serial No. 845,975.

T (166 whom it'may concern Be it known that I, NILs D. LEVIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines and Trucks, of which the following is a specification, reference being'had therein to the body can be readily loaded or unloaded, and

Y a truck embodying my invention.

accompanying drawing. 10.

' depressed and in position for-unloading or end of the truck or the mechanism carriedchine being shown in this figure also.

loading a mining machine, the mining manism on the truck by means of which the truck gearing is connected to the powerdevices of the miningfmachine. Figs. 5 to 12 inclusive are detail views of some of the parts of the said clutch mechanism. 1 It has been customary in using trucks of this kind to depress one end of the truck and consequently to raise the axle and wheels at the opposite end of the'truck from the ground whe'nit has been desired to put the truck in position for loading or unloading a mining machine. When the truck is thus tilted on its front axle as a fulcrum, the rear end is raised sufiiciently high to occasion serious difliculty in rooms where the .coal is found in very thin veins, the rear by the rear end frequently striking the roof of the room. A truck I -with my invention is provided with a front elevated to. position supporting construction of such a type that the forward end of thetruck may be low ered with respect to the front axle and again chine has been moved into place upon-the side bars -1 .arasecured bearing truck.x-. I L" "The frame of the truck comprisesthe side rails 1, 1 andcrossbars 2, 4 and 7. To the- I p boxes 9 for the axles 10 and- 1.1. upon which are mounte a truck onto which Fig. v4 is a vertlcal section of the clutch mechabuilt in accordance tion shown in Fig.

after the mining mato assume the r the track wheels 12, 12 and '13, 13. The

PatentedFeb.8,19161 wheels 13 are not keyeddirectly to the 'forward axlelO but are rotatably mounted upon the short shafts 14 respectively, which are secured at their inner" ends to the crank arms 15. These crank arms are 'keyed'to the ends of the axle 10, being disposed inthe) same plane through the axis of the'axle 10. This construction provides, in efiect, an axle bent at its two ends, and the wheels 13 are thus mounted eccentrically with respect to the axle 10.

tion shown in Fig. 2 the axle 10 is in a plane somewhat above the horizontal plane of the axle shafts14 and the truck'frame isin' its When the crank .arms 15.are in the posinormal raised position; by swinging the axle 10 downward around the axisof the shafts 14 to a position somewhat below the plane ofthe shafts 14, the frame of the truck-is lowered. to the position shown inFig. 3 of the drawings, in which position the mining machine can readily b'e drawnonto or off of said frame. In swinging-the front axle 10 as just described, it will be observed that the distance the axle 11 is not greatly changed; v

The cranks 15 have formed 'ntegral therewith upwardly extending; arms 16: which are be engaged and-moved by rollers adapted to are appropriately" mounted one 7 Which upon each As'the mining machine ismoved' ontofthe truck in any usual. or preferred-way, :the

rollers 17 engage the arms 16 while moving from the position shown in Fig. 3 "o f' the drawings- As the mining machine-advances farther along the rails 1, the'arms16 are moved angularly about thepins l4, and the axle 10,-which is supported atits' ends in the crank arms 15, is elevated carrying with it the front end of the truckfwhich is'thu's lifted into the same horizontalplfane with the rear end of the truck. It is only when the mining machine is moved from the posi- 2 "of the drawings, that the arms 16 which are held in' their'vertical position by the mining machine are allowed inclined position, as shown in Fig.3, and the forward 'end of the truck a is then automatically lowered until the machine can be readily withdrawn there-from; When the miningmachine' is in*it's proper between the shafts 14 and side of the'mining machine 18;

6. position upon the truck "transportation -the clutch element 22 mounted upon the truck by being secured to the cross bar t and the longitudinal bar 21- of the truck frame.

It is by this means that the power of the mining machine motor 23 isdelivered to the wheels ofthe truck. When the mining machine is in normal position upon the truck, the truck is propelled along the mine tracks by. the mining machine motor.

- Difficultyhas been heretofore experienced inseeuring a proper connection of the power transmittingmechanism on the mining machine with the power transmitting mechanism on the truck, and this difficulty is especially great when the connection is a shaft coupling between two vertically arranged shafts, one upon the mining machine and one upon the truck. To overcome this difficulty I have devised the following form of clutch or coupling. Y

Upon the lower end of the power shaft of the mining machine is secured the disk 19 radially notched at 35,35. This shaft 20 is capable of being raised or lowered carrying with it the disk or clutch element 19. the clutch element 19 mates with the clutch element 22. When the shaft is not in its lowermost position the clutch is disconnected.

The stud 24: is secured in fixed vertical position to the frame plate 25,- which latter is appropriately secured to the frame bars 4 and 21 of the truck.

29 fit snugly within and slidably engage thegroove-30 in-the has formed in its upper side another groove 32 arranged at right'angles' to the groove 30.

The sum of the depth of these two grooves to the thickness of the intermediate plate 31in which they are formed,

is at least equal with the result that the plate is provided at its center with a square aperture 33 extend--- The groove .32 slidably engages driving keys34;formed on' ing completely through it.

theunder side of the .clutch' element 22.

This element 22 is formed withthe teeth" 22 which engage with the notches 35', 35..

The inner en -wall of these notches and also of the teeth22 which mate therewith are inclined downward and radially inward. This inclination of the innentiwalls' of the notchesland teeth causes theztwo clutch elements to be properly. connected {even though the'upperelement may be laterally' displaced lVhen the shaft is in its lower position,

The sleevev 26 is journaled upon this stud and upon it is 29 on its-upper side.- The.

under side of the intermediate plate 31. g This platein any direction with respect to the lower element. to be the case, since it is diflicult to cause the mining machine to assume'such a position than the two clutch elements are exactly because the intermediate plate 31 has slidin engagement in two directions perpendicul to each other with the clutch element 22 an the sleeve 26 respectively. When the clutch is in operation under such circumstances,

clutch element 22 will rotate about the same axis as will the clutch element 19; the sleeve 26 will rotate aboutanother axis displaced therefrom; and the intermediate plate .31 will have an eccentric motion both with respect to the axis of rotation of the clutch element 22 and with'respect to the axis of rotation of the sleeve 26 and will transmit power from oneto the other.

I To prevent the clutch element 22 from becoming sufficiently displaced laterally to be entirelydisconnected from the parts upon which it rests, and likewise to prevent a similar displacement of the plate 31 from'a position upon the sleei'e' 26, the block 36 is pilaced in the aperture 33,- which it snugly an excessive amount, the plug, will engage Should the parts become displaced to the inner ends of the driving ys 29 in one direction of movement and the inner ends of the drivingkeys 34 in the other direction of movement and will prevent any. further horizontal displacement.

At the forward end-of the truck, a i'ertical. shaft 3.7 is mounted. This shaft is journaled within the box-likecasing 38a'nd upon lower end, which projects below the casing, the sprocket wheel 39' i's-keyed. The

sprocket chain 40 connects the sprocket Wheels 379 and 27. "-Within-the casing 381ever sing power, transmitting mechanism is contained, which connects theverticalflshaft 37 to the horizontal shaft {11; By means of this reversing mechanism, th'eishaft 41 can be driven in either. direction of rotation by the sha ft 37 which preferably always rotates .in the ;'si;tme direction; Theslia'ft 41 PIYOJBCtS horizontally through the end wall vof the casing 38and is provided with the sprocket wheel- 42 which is connected tolan .othersprocket-wheel 43 0n the axle 11 by 1 means of the chain 44.i Through this train of gearing the mining machine motor, while rotating in the .same direction, is utilized to drive "thewheels 12 and. to propel the truck in either direction To secure additional tractiveeflorn th axle 11 is connected tb Quch displacement is quite aptwind a conductor cable by which current is 'reel shaft.

each of the wheels 13 by means of the the sprocket wheels 46 on the axle 11 and at the forward end sprocket wheels 47 engaging with the wheels 13. I have already pointed out that in adjusting the axle 10 up and down,the distance between the wheel shafts 14 and the 'axlell is not greatly altered, and for this reason it is not necessary to provide an' undue amount of slack in'the chains 45.

A reeling mechanism 48 is provided at the rear end of' he truck to wind and unsupplied from a stationary conductor'to the mining machine motor, the reel being driven by the shaft 41, the rope wheel 49 thereon,

the rope 50 and the rope 'wheel 51 on the The reel is. reversed in directlon of rotatlon when the directionof movement of the truck is reversech since theshaft 41 drives both the reel and the truck. \Vhen the truck is moving toward the point at which the cable is secured to the stationary conductor, the reel winds the cable and prevents the formation of the truck is moving an the other direction the reel unwinds the cable and lays it,along I the track. In this manner, current is supplied to the mining machine motor "without trolley mechanism or other conthe use of tact devices engaging an extended stationary conductor.

The operation f a truck constructed in accordance with my invention is apparent f I adapted to receive and and its many advantages are evident. The truck is automatically raised and lowered at the proper times when'the mining machine motor when the mining machine is moved into or away from its normal position upon the truck. The direction of movement of the truck can be reversed by means of the wheel 52, which operates the reversing clutch in the casing 88, without changing the direction of slack and current from the motor 23 'It is'afgreat have to reverse the direction of rotation of the mining machine motor, if possible. The reversing clutch also automatically reverses the direction of rota tion of the reel 48, and the conductor cable 53is' automatically maintained taut Without without excessive tension.

I do not herein claim the combination of the truck with the cable reeling mechanism,

as this construction is covered by my 00- pending application for mining machines and trucks, Serial No. 57 9,7 98, filed August 31, 1910; and I do not herein claim the specific form of cable reeling mechanism shown, as amechanism of this general character is coveied by my co pending application, for cab? winding mechanism, Serial slack therein. When machine mittinggearing on theitruckl division of my aforesaid cation, Serial No. 579,798.,

. The mining mach ne which is-diagriainrmati'cally shown' n the drawings is notwhere 1n specifically cla1med,1tbemgmade the sub} fo'i'ifiniii- 6647037, ed December l91l, as co-pending applimining machinehaving a clutch element-arr;

ranged with" its axis perpendicular; to the longitudinallines of th'emachine, a mating clutch 'element on the truck arranged with its axis perpendicular to the" longitudinal lines of the-'truck and mounted so as tobe movable through a limited areain awplane perpendicular toits axis, andxpower transmitting gearing connecting the movable clutch element with the truck wheels.

' 2.The combination of 3a truck body,

I flanged track wheels, 'anda clutch element adapted 'to mate with another clutch element on a mining machineon the truck, said clutch elementbeing arranged with its axis truck, a shaftcoupling between the shaft" and clutch elementpermitting. thedatter'to rotatejin engagement with. the m n ng machine clutch; elemental: anyppsition within a limited areain a plane perpendicular to its direction by the power devices'onlthe mining' machine. a v

4. The combination of, ,fruck frame,

wheels on thetruck,,.a trainof power trans.- adapted to be connected at one end with power mechanism on thebody carried'by the truck and connected at the other: end "to: the truck wheels, manually controllable reversing mechanism in the said train, a reel mounted on the truck, a flexible conductor wound on the reel, and power transmitting gearing connecting the reel to an element in the said train located operably between tlu -reversing mechanism and the wheels.

5. The combination of a truck frame, a

pair of axles mounted thereon, a pair of supporting wheels mounted on the rear axle, a pair of crank arms on the ends of the front axle, supporting wheels rotatably mounted on the outer ends of the crank arms, and

' vertical, a'power transmitting shaft on the 'axis, and powertransmitting gearing bewheels,

levers rigidly secured to the crank arms and arranged to be engaged by the body carried by the truck as it is moved onto the truck. I

{5. The combination of a truck frame, a pair of axles mounted thereon, a pair of supporting wheels mounted on the rear. axle, apan" of crank arms on the ends of the front axle, supporting wheels rotat-ably mounted on the ends of said crank'arms, driving connections between the front axle wheels and th'erear axle wheels comprisingv a sprocket chaln, and means for swinging the front axle from a position somewhat below a horizontal plane through the axis of the front wheels to a position somewhat above said plane, the proportions and arrangements of parts being such that the frame is inits inclined loading and unload ing position when the axle is in-the said" respectively at their wheel ends and making an angle of approximately ninety degrees therewith and adapted to be engaged by )arts on the article transported as it moves into position on the truck and to be moved thereby so as to angle the crank arms and elevate the front axle sufliciently to raise the truck frame from an inclined position to a horizontal position.

8. The combination of a truck frame, a pair of axles mounted thereon, a pair of supporting wheels mounted on the rear axle, a pair of crank arms mounted on the ends of the front axle, supporting wheels rotatably" mounted on the outer ends of the crank arms, and two upwardly extending levers rig-idly connected to the crank arms ther therefrom, supporting wheels the outer ends of the respectively and adapted to be engaged by parts on the article transported as it moves into position on the truck and to-be moved e y was to angle the crank arms and elevate the front axle sufficiently to raise the truck frame from an inclined position to a horizontal position.

' 9. The combination of a truck, comprismg a frame, and supporting wheels therefor, a train of gearing on the truck for.

driving the supporting wheels, and a mining machine having powendriven mechanism, the power driven mechanism of the mining machine and the gearing of the truck comprising respectively rotatable power transmitting. members adapted to be brought into substantial alinement and' connecting mechanism including clutch elements adapted to co-act and transmit power from the said rotatable member on the mining machine to the said rotatable member on the truck when the rotatable members are, within certain limits-,-out of alinement with each other.

10. The combination of a truck, comprising a frame and supportingwheels therefor, a train of gearing on the truck for driving the supporting wheels, and a mining ma.- chine having power driven mechanism, the power driven mechanism of themining machine and the gearing of the truck comprising respectively rotatable power transmitting members adapted to be brought into substantial alinement and connecting mechanism including clutch elements adapted to co-act and transmit power from the said rotatable member on the mining machine to the said rotatable member onthe truck when the rotatable members are, within certain limits, out of alinement with each other, the said clutch elements being provided w1th beveled surfaces adapted to engage each other; to cause the automatic alinement of the elements.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses NILS D. LEVIN. Vitnesses:

E. P, SxIvELY, R. R. DIFNLOPJ 

